Jess Brown

A win in the Western Hockey League always means something – even if it’s merely gaining two points in the standings.

When asked how he feels about being on the brink of a major milestone, Don Nachbaur just grinned and shook his head a little. The Spokane Chiefs coach is one win away from 500 career Western Hockey League wins – a feat only five other coaches have achieved, including current Saskatoon coach Lorne Molleken and Vancouver coach Don Hay, who made the list last season.

When asked how he feels about being on the brink of a major milestone, Don Nachbaur just grinned and shook his head a little.

Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves briefly entertained the idea of playing one-on-one against San Francisco coach Jennifer Azzi – a class of 2009 Hall of Famer.

It didn’t take long to get the message.

Don Nachbaur has his own way of pointing out that you reap what you sow. “Since the (Christmas) break we have played two really good games and two mediocre games,” the Spokane Chiefs’ head coach said. “It comes down to consistency. The last two games we played, we didn’t compete hard enough to win – so in essence, we got exactly what we deserved.”

Don Nachbaur has his own way of pointing out that you reap what you sow. “Since the (Christmas) break we have played two really good games and two mediocre

Perhaps coming off an overtime victory over rival Cheney was enough of a close call for the West Valley Eagles. On Tuesday night it seemed they were primed and ready to run away with a victory as Terrynce Duke scored three touchdowns and West Valley shook off a slow start, hammering East Valley (Yakima) with a 35-7 win in a State 2A football play-in game.

Three things are certain in life – death and taxes being the first two. In the case of which of the past two Memorial Cup champions will continue their Western Hockey League playoff quest, a verdict is also guaranteed. And the decision is quickly approaching.

Of course it ended like it did. This is playoff hockey, folks. What did you expect – Drayson Bowman from the right circle? Well, that happened, too. Technically, it was the reason that everything else happened.

The Spokane Chiefs knew they had two important opportunities on Tuesday and Wednesday night. As it turned out, they had no problem seizing both of them. After dropping the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series with the Vancouver Giants on the road, the defending Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup champion Chiefs pulled even in the series with two victories on home ice earlier this week. In doing so, they earned another important opportunity.

History suggests that in order for the Spokane Chiefs to have improved odds of extending their Western Hockey League playoff run, they’ll need a victory tonight. The best-of-7 Western Conference semifinal series between the defending WHL and Memorial Cup champion Chiefs (4-3) and the top-seeded Vancouver Giants (6-0) – who won the Memorial Cup in 2007 – moves to the Spokane Arena tonight for the third game of the series.

Spokane coach Hardy Sauter had no problem calling his Chiefs the underdogs, because technically they are. When it comes to playing against this year’s Vancouver Giants, most teams would be considered underdogs.

Following the Spokane Chiefs’ road victory Wednesday night over the Seattle Thunderbirds, goalie Dustin Tokarski said what fans on this side of the state have wanted to hear. “It does feel the same (as last year), because last year in the playoffs we were able to win on the road,” Tokarski told reporters in an interview at the ShoWare Center in Kent. “We showed that we can do it again when we are playing our ‘A’ game by taking two games here in Kent.

When the Spokane Chiefs head west early next week to play the third and fourth games of their Western Hockey League playoff series with the Seattle Thunderbirds, they hoped they’d be carrying a two-game lead with them. The Thunderbirds had something else in mind though.